A leading scientist says there are “a number of reasons” why the UK has higher Covid infection levels than many other European countries.
Covid-19 cases in the UK are at their highest level for almost three months, with the seven-day average standing at 44,145 cases per day.
Hospital admissions and deaths are also slowly creeping up, though vaccines are still working well overall to prevent severe disease. READ MORE: Boris Johnson 'needed friend at No 10 at Christmas to help with childcare challenges' Professor Neil Ferguson, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the UK has lower "functional immunity" in our population than most other Western European countries.